Casket-truck.



m. M u EB T R m Lu m P 3 APPLICATION FILED MAY 1''] 1910. 974,679.-

. Patente'dINov. 1, 1910 P. J. KREMER.

GASKET TRUCK.

. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 1?, 1910. I 974,679. Patented Nov, 1,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. 5 A -4 Tw e iiiiiil W i 18/ Snow/17oz *tlNii'iEiD ene PATENT PHILIP J. KREMER, OF SOMERTON, OHIO.

CASKET-TRUCK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHiLIP J. KREMER,

' of Somerton, in the county of Belmont and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gasket-Trucks; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention is an improvement in foldable trucks commonly called casket trucks and especially designed for use by undertakers.

The object of the invention is to provide a truck that can be readily adjusted in length, height and width for any size casket from the largest to the smallest.

Another object of the invention is to enable large wheels to be used at either or both ends of the truck and swivel wheels may beused at the other end.

The present truck is an improvement upon the truck shown in my application for patent filed April 26, 1910, Serial No. 557,815; and the invention resides in the novel con struction and combination of parts which I will now describe with reference to the accompanying drawings and summarize in the claims following such description.

In said drawings-Figure 1 is a side elevation of the truck opened. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end view. Fig. 4. is an enlarged detail section on line 44, Fig. 1, looking downward. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail side view of one of the lower rear corner castings for the swivel wheel and connected parts of the frame. Fig. 6 is a top view of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view of one of the top corner members and its connections. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail view of an adjustable clamp-rod. F ig. 9 is an enlarged detail section on the line 9-9, Fig. 1.

Each side and end frame of the truck is composed of a series of bars pivotally united in lazy-tongs style; each side frame (Fig. 1) comprises a number of intersecting bars 1, preferably of metal, which are pivotally connected together at their points of intersection and at their ends, but the outermost top bars 1 are cut off at their points of intersection with the outermost lower bars 1 (Fig. 1), but the latter extend Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 17, 1910.

Patented Nov. 1, 1910. Serial No. 561,895.

upward sufficiently to support the casket at pointsbeyond the end frames of the truck.

The lower ends of the outermost left-hand bars 1, 1 of the side frame (Fig. 1) are pivotally connected to a corner casting 2, (see Figs. 5 and 6), which corner casting is provided with a side portion 2 and end portion 2 and a pivot-bolt 1 the pivot-bolt 1 transfixes the lower part of the side portion 2 of the corner casting; and the lower end of the outermost bars 1 1 are also pivoted on this bolt 1 as shown. The side 2* of the corner casting is provided with stops 2 2 to respectively limit the separating movement of the bars 1, 1", when the truck is opened; and the stops 2, 2 are connected by a guidestrap 2 which prevents lateral play or oscillation of the bars on the casting, or the casting on the bars. The guide 2 has a shoulder 2 on its inner side which limits the inward swing of the bar 1 (Fig.

6) and the side 2 has a shoulder .2 which '3 of the caster wheel 3 is mounted. Through the lower edge of the end portion 2 of the casting passes a bolt 3 on which the lower end of the outermost bar 3* of the end frame of the truck is pivoted. And this portion 2 is provided with a slot 2 through which the bar 3 plays and by which the opening and closing movements or swing of the bar 3 are regulated.

The upper ends of the outermost bars 1 and 1 are pivotally connected'at 1 to castings or corner members 2 which form the connections between the upper ends of the side and end frames of the truck as hereinafter described, and also serve as rests or supports for the casket when placed upon the truck. The end frames of the truck are also preferably made in lazy-tongs fashion and as shown in Fig. 3 are composed of four intersecting bars,-3, 3 The pair of lower bars 8' incline in opposite directions and are pivotally connected at their upper ends as at 3. The pair of upper bars 3 also incline in opposite directions and are pivotally connected at their lower ends, as at 3 and bars 3, 3 are also pivotally connected at their points of intersection, as at 3. The lower ends of the bars 3 of the rear end frame of the track are pivotally connected to the corner castings 2 as above described; and the upper ends of the bars 3 are pivotally connected to the corner.

members 2 as described.

The front end of the truck may be constructed the same as the rear end; but preferably, in order to enable large wheels to be used, the construction is as follows: As shown, the lower ends of the outermost members 1, 1 of the truck at the left-hand end thereof, are bent outwardly and connected to the outer end of an axle-bolt f; and the inner end of this axle-bolt -l is attached to the lower ends of short bars 1, 1, which respectively extend parallel with the outer bars 1" and 1 of the side frame and are connected therewith by bolts 1 and 1 at the intersecting points, see Figs. 1 and 2. To the inner ends of the axle-bolt at are connected an le or corner pieces ti to which the lower en of the bars 3" of the forward end frame are pivotally connected by bolts l, as shown. "()n the axle bolt 4: are journaled large wheels 4? which have no swivel movement and consequently make the forward end of the truck very stiff and secure against Y lateral vibration, while the truck can be guided right or left by means of the swiveled rear wheels 3. If desired brace bars 12 may be used, said bars being pivotally connected together at their inner ends, and at their outer ends to the adjacent bars 1, 1 at the points 1, 1 as indicated, above the wheels 4, and when the truck is fully extended these braces 12 will prevent further extension of the truck.

To give additional stiffness and strength to the truck when opened the corner members 2 may also be connected by top foldable braces (Figs. 2 and 7) comprising endlinks 5 pivotally connected at 5 and having their outer ends ivotally connected to angle-pieces 5 whici are in turn pivoted to the corner members 2 as shown at 5. The links 5 brace the truck laterally when extended. To further brace the frame longitudinally links 6 may be pivotally connected at their outer ends to angle pieces 5 and at their inner ends to angle-pieces 6* which are in turn pivotally connected to a tie 6, see Figs. 1 2 and 9. The braces 5 and 6 are foldable with the truck by depressing the member 6, and the truck can be folded into a very small compass.

In some cases both ends of the truck might be provided with wheels 4, but such truck could not be as readily handled as that in which the swivel rear wheels 3 are provided.

The lower ends of the intermediate bars 1 in the side frame may be bent inward as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so that they will not come in contact with the wheels 49' when the truck is folded. When the truck is exstee /e tended to full size the braces will keep it from spreading farther as shown in Fig. 1; but it is sometimes desired to contract the truck to suit smaller caskets, and for this purpose an adjustable clamp (Fig. 8) can be used which is composed of rods 7 slidably connected to clamp plates 7*, which may be clamped together by means of a bolt 7 and wing-nut 7 The hooked ends 7 of this adjustable clamp can be caught over the nuts or washers between thebars at their points of connection with the anglepieces at the corners of the truck; or any other desired parts thereof, which will enable the clamp-rod to limit the expansion of the side and end frames to the desired extent.

What I claim is:

1. In a casket truck, the combination of a. side frame composed of bars united in lazy-tongs fashion, a shaft-bolt having its outer end connected to the lower ends of the outermost bars of said frame, auxiliary bars attached at their upper ends to the said outermost bars and at their lower ends to the inner end of said shaft-bolt, and a wheel journaled on said shaft-bolt.

2. In a casket truck, the combination of side frames composed of bars united in lazytongs fashion, auxiliary bars attached to the outermost bars of the side frames at one end of the truck, a. shaft-bolt connected to the lower ends of said frame-bars and auxiliarybars at each side of the truck, and a wheel journaled 011 each of. said shaft-bolts; with a caster connected to the lower ends of the rearmost bars of each of the side frames.

3. In a casket truck, the combination of a frame at each side of the truck each composed of bars united in lazy-tongs fashion, auxiliary bars attached at their upper ends to the outermost bars of each side frame at one end of the truck, a shaftbolt connected to the lower ends of said outermost framebars, and the lower ends of said auxiliary bars of each side frame, and a wheel journaled on each shaft-bolt; with a cornermember connected to the lower ends of the rearmost bars of each of the side frames, a

caster swiveled on each corner member; and foldable end frames connected to the front and rear ends of the side frames.

4. In a casket truck, the combination of lazy-tongs, side and end frames, corner castings connected to the lower ends of the outermost bars of the side frames and to the adjacent end frame, said corner castings having portions to limit the swinging movement of the bars of the frames connected therewith.

5. In a casket truck, the combination of side and end frames, a corner casting connected to the lower endsof the outermost bars of each side frame and to the adjacent end frame, said corner castings having side and end members to which the frames are pivotally attached and having slotted guides to limit the swinging movement of the bars connected therewith.

6. In a casket truck, the combination of side and end frames, a corner casting connected to each side frame and to the adjacent end frame, each corner casting having side and end pieces to which the frames are pivotally attached, and having stops to limit the swinging movement of the bars connected therewith, and also having a socket portion intermediate the side and end pieces for the reception of the shank of a caster wheel.

7 In a,easket truck, the combination of a side frame composed of bars united in lazytongs fashion, a short bolt having its outer end connected to the lower ends of the end bars of said frame, and auxiliary bars attached at their upper ends to the end bars of the side frame and at their lower ends to the inner end of said shaft-bolt, and a wheel journaled on said shaft bolt; with a foldable brace pivotallyconnected to the adjacent bars of the side frame above the said wheel.

8. In a casket truck, the combination of a frame at each side of the truck, each composed of bars united in lazy-tongs fashion, auxiliary bars attached at their upper ends to the outermost bars of each side frame at one end of the truck, a shaft-bolt connected to the lower ends of said outermost frame bars, and the lower ends of said auxiliary bars of each side frame, and a wheel journaled on each shaft-bolt; with a cornermember connected to the lower ends of the rearmost bars of each of the side frames, a caster swiveled on each corner member; foldable end frames, and foldable brace-bars pivotally connected to the side frames.

9. In a casket truck, the combination of side and end frames each composed of bars united in lazy-tongs fashion, auxiliary bars attached at their upper ends to the outermost bars of each side frame at one end of the truck, a shaft-bolt connected to the lower ends of said outermost frame bars, and the lower ends of said auxiliary bars of each side frame, and a wheel journaled oneach shaft-bolt; with a corner casting connected to the rear bar of each side frame, such corner casting having stops to limit the swinging movement of the frame bars connected therewith, and also having a socket portion for the reception of the shank of a caster wheel, and foldable brace bars pivotally connected to each side frame.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PHILIP J. KREMER. lVitnesses v A. L. WVARRIoK, Jnssn GIBnoNs. 

